Independence Day – watercress words by Dr Aletha

Jump Into July

July is a significant month, with celebrations like the Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary and U.S. Independence Day, marked with events such as the Republican National Convention and the 2024 Summer Olympics. It’s a time for reflection on history, patriotism, and excitement for upcoming festivities, including a notable move for the 2028 Olympics.

revised June 20, 2025

How much do you remember about July 2024? Read this post to find out.

Here we are, starting the second half of the year. July is the first full month of summer for half the world and the last full month before school starts again, at least for some families. In July, we have only one federal holiday in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s a dull month.

July 20-Remembering the First Moonwalk

Perhaps I should have titled this post Leap into July since this month we remember a “giant leap” that happened in 1969.

On July 20 we will remember that historic day over 50 years ago when humans first walked on the moon, first Neil Armstrong, followed by Edwin Aldrin.

From the National Aeronautics and Space Administration website

“The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961: perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

An estimated 650 million people watched Armstrong’s televised image and heard his voice describe the event as he took “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969.

one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind
Commander Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969

Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon’s surface.

After a flight of 195 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, 13 miles from the recovery ship USS Hornet July 24, 1969.”

If you don’t remember it, or weren’t alive then, you can watch it at this link.

July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind

life size photo of the Apollo 11 crew-Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin — No, I didn’t go to the moon with the Apollo 11 team. My husband snapped this photo of me in front of this wall-sized photo of them displayed at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX

Now the United States and multiple other countries plan to return to the moon within the next few years. I hope this new “space race” is as exciting as the first one was.

July 4-Celebrating Independence

Further back in United States history, colonists in North America took a “giant leap” by declaring independence from Great Britain. That set off a hard-fought, costly war, culminating in an independent country of 13 states.

We celebrate Independence Day, more commonly simply called the 4th of July. The Continental Congress voted on July 2, 1776 to declare independence, but the Declaration was adopted on July 4, so we celebrate that day, which is an official federal holiday.

Unfortunately, the war was not the end of conflict for the new country.

The European settlers engaged in conflicts with the Indigenous people that still impact lives today. Many settlers bought and enslaved Africans despite many who objected to such a heinous practice.

The struggle between slave owners and abolitionists eventually led to a bitter Civil War a hundred years later and the civil rights movement after another century.

Still, the original dream of equality and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness continues to inspire and motivate all Americans, whatever their origin.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
the Declaration of Independence

Thanks again to my husband for this photo of me at the Lincoln Memorial looking toward the Washington Memorial in Washington, DC.

Thanks to a cousin who did an extensive genealogy of my father’s family, I found evidence of having an ancestor who assisted in the fight for independence by providing supplies to the army. So I became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The mission of DAR includes education, patriotism, and historic preservation. Follow this link to see if you qualify to join, we always want new patriots and new members.

And don’t assume it doesn’t apply to you. DAR is seeking unrecognized African American and Native American patriots. One of them may be your ancestor

Daughters of the American Revolution

“As part of the DAR’s mission to preserve the past and encourage people to learn more about the nation’s history, the E Pluribus Unum Initiative will support new scholarship, create educational programming, and develop new research tools that complement work being done by other organizations, with the goal of enriching our understanding of the different people behind the effort of the colonies to win independence, and recognizing those who have been left out of the historical narrative.”

July 15-The Republican National Convention

At the 2024 Republican National Convention, delegates of the United States Republican Party selected the party’s president and vice president nominees for the 2024 presidential election in November. The event occurred July 15 to 18, 2024, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The nominee was, as expected, former President Donald Trump, who announced his choice for a vice presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance.

Mr. Vance was known for his military service as well as his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in which he described growing up poor in Appalachia.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

He was raised by his grandmother because his mother, Beverly, struggled with substance abuse. She successfully overcame her addiction and lived to see her son become Vice President of the United States. Her story is one to celebrate.

I’ve never been inside the White House; it’s impressive from the outside. The President and his family reside here.

Aren’t the flowers gorgeous?

July 26-The Summer Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics (French: Jeux olympiques d’été de 2024), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (French: Jeux de la XXXIIIe Olympiade) and commonly known as Paris 2024, is an international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in France, with Paris as the main host city and 16 other cities.

statues of runners passing a torch — at the U.S. Olympic Training Center at Colorado Springs Colorado, photo by Dr.Aletha

From 1924 to 1992, the Summer and Winter Games were held in the same year, every four years, a period called the “Olympiad”. The last Summer and Winter Games held in the same year were in Barcelona (Summer) and Albertville (Winter) in 1992.

Since then, the Summer Games are celebrated during the first year of an Olympiad and the Winter Games held in the third year, so we only have to wait two years to watch these exciting games again.

Considering the variety of sports held during the Summer Games, there will be many chances to observe competitive jumping-basketball, gymnastics, equestrian, volleyball, diving, and skateboarding-as well as sports that stay grounded-archery, golf, table tennis, and weightlifting.

two champion athletes — a runner and gymnast represented at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, CO

And what would summer be without water so we’ll see swimming, water polo, canoeing, rowing, and sailing. And surfing is in the Olympics, but not in Paris. Surfing events will be in Tahiti, which is part of French Polynesia.

a real “Olympic-sized” swimming pool at the training center

These photos are from my tour of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado a few years ago. Please visit this post to see more photos and read more about my visit.

A tour of the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado

A visit to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs showcases the dedication and resilience of Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Promoting physical activity, it emphasizes the health benefits of exercise, while sharing the “Winning Attitudes” and determination exhibited by champions. The center inspires a commitment to personal excellence and perseverance.

Keep reading

Exploring the HEART of Health

I’ll definitely be tuning in to watch the Olympic games. I especially enjoy the gymnastics and track events but also some of the less familiar sports. I may even check out breaking, which debuts this Olympics.

Breakdancing, as breaking is popularly known, is a form of dance sport that blends urban dance with remarkable athleticism, making it worthy of a spot in the Olympic program.

I’m already excited about the 2028 Summer Olympics coming to my home state, Oklahoma! At least part of it is. Los Angeles California is the official host city but two events will be in Oklahoma City-softball and canoe slalom.

“The partnership between the two cities is a move designed to use existing sports facilities and keep costs down.” Read more about the plans at this link

Why two 2028 Los Angeles Olympics events are moving to Oklahoma City

I’ve never been to an Olympic game so this will be my best chance.

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Let’s jump into July

What are you jumping into this month? What new “leaps” will you try? Let us know in the comments so we can cheer you on.

Dr. Aletha

a woman in a red, white, and blue shirt — Me, a few years ago, showing my patriotic spirit by posing in red, white, and blue

There’s much more to Explore on this blog so use the Search box to look for your favorite health, medical, and wellness topic.

from 1776 to 2020-a vision for a “more perfect Union”

The United States’ healthcare system combines public health efforts with mostly private delivery of health care. Usually they coexist side by side with some but infrequent interaction. The public health emergency created by the pandemic forced them into a “union” that quickly became politicized, and unfortunately diminished the effectiveness of the response.

In ophthalmology, visual acuity is measured by the distance one can see compared to “normal”. A person with 20/80 vision can see at 20 feet what a normal vision person can see from 80 feet. Perfect vision is labeled 20/20.

Maybe you expected 2020 to be a perfect year. I doubt that any of us would say it was. The year brought

a contentious presidential election and an unexpected serious pandemic
peaceful protests and raucous riots
racism confrontations and reconciliation pursuits
health inequities battles and healthy community pursuits

This next year 2021 has already had its share of problems, but I think most of us feel calmer, more hopeful, and eager to resume many of the activites we put on hold last year. And that includes a 4th of July celebration.

Statue of Liberty — Lady Liberty lifting her torch in New York harbor

Independence Day, July 4

Every year on July 4th the United States celebrates Independence Day- the day in 1776 the original 13 American colonies established an independent country.

A few years later they established a government as specified in the Constitution of the United States, to “form a more perfect Union”.

The United States Constitution

The Constitution does not specifically mention, establish, create, or endorse a healthcare system. Some phrases in the Preamble hint at it though-

establish Justice
insure domestic Tranquility
provide for the common Defense
promote the general Welfare

Government sponsored health care programs

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare

The United States Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 to guarantee basic health insurance to all citizens. During his term in office, President Trump vowed to “repeal and replace” this law but although it has been modified, it is still in place.

Healthcare for military service members, veterans ,and their families

During the American Revolution the fledgling government extended health care benefits to the soldiers and veterans of that war; that system evolved into the current Department of Defense military health care system which covers service members and the Veterans’ Administration system for veterans.

a Veterans Administration clinic (photo by Dr. Aletha)

American soldiers serving in Afghanistan

Medicare and Medicaid

Two other government healthcare programs- Medicare and Medicaid are over 50 years old.

Medicaid provides insurance coverage for adults and children who are unemployed or low income.

Medicare covers disabled children and adults and persons 65 years and older.

a senior adult couple relaxing in lawn chairs — by Brayden Heath from LIGHTSTOCK.COM

Department of Health and Human Services

Most of the health care activities of the federal government fall under the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services or HHS. The Secretary of HHS serves in the President’s Cabinet.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard more about the HHS in the news than usual; maybe you’ve never heard of these agencies. Generally, management of a pandemic or other public health emergency falls within the work of the CDC.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–

The CDC’s mission is simple but encompasses many facets of health

“to work 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S.”

The CDC website devotes an entire section now to information, guidelines, and news about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19.

illustration showing the coronavirus which causes COVID-19

The goal of public health is to avoid or prevent health threats from becoming public health emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic. If they accomplish the mission, we hardly notice. But when an outbreak occurs, their work suddenly becomes visible, scrutinized, and debated.

The CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield, spoke to Congress soon after the pandemic started, and his assessment of the response and funding for it were not positive. Lack of funding hampered the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, he told lawmakers on March 10, 2020.

“The truth is we’ve underinvested in the public health labs,There’s not enough equipment, there’s not enough people, there’s not enough internal capacity, there’s no search capacity”
Dr. Robert Redfield, Director, CDC

The Trump administration subsequently enlisted private companies to help cut the difference. The CDC partnered with Integrated DNA Technologies to manufacture the COVID tests under a CDC contract. IDT partnered with commercial labs for the testing.

2021-the Biden Administration

On December 7, 2020 President Biden’s transition team announced that Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D. was slated to become the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a 2021 interview she talked about the “big questions that keep her up at night.”

How are we going to ensure that the people who are hardest to reach with COVID vaccines receive it?

How are we going to ensure that when everyone else is not thinking about COVID we are still leveraging the infrastructure and connections we’ve made and that we address the collateral damage of this pandemic: the hypertension , the pediatric vaccinations that haven’t happened, HIV control?

How are we going to address a resurgent opioid crisis that I thought I’d never see again?

How are we going to address gun injury prevention?

How do we not only protect this nation, as we realize that we need to protect the world, too. Not just for humanitarian purposes, but because we are so integrally linked, as this virus has taught us.

National Institutes of Health– NIH

The National Institutes of Health, part of the Public Health Service,

supports biomedical and behavioral research with the United States and abroad,
conducts research in its own laboratories and clinics,
trains promising young researchers, and
promotes collecting and sharing medical knowledge.

And within the NIH is the NIAID– the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which has been an invaluable source of guidance as the United States and the world works to understand and manage this new infectious disease.

President Donald Trump Visits NIH — President Donald Trump visited NIH on March 3, 2020 and toured the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Vaccine Research Center (VRC) to learn about research on a vaccine for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. From left: VRC Deputy Director Dr. Barney Graham, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, VRC Director John Mascola, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, President Trump, and VRC Research Fellow Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.
credit NIH, public domain

Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 — This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (orange)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (green) cultured in the lab.

Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH

President Biden Visits NIH Vaccine Research Center — NIH immunologist Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett speaks to President Joe Biden about the fundamental research that contributed to the development of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines when the President visited NIH’s Vaccine Research Center on February 11, 2021. Credit: NIH/Chiachi Chang

Food and Drug Administration– FDA

The FDA joins the pandemic response by

reviewing and approving diagnostic tests for the coronavirus
protecting consumers from fraudulent products for COVID-19.
issuing Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for ventilators
sampling and testing of respirators for importation

Late in 2020 the FDA gave Emergency Use Authorization to 2 vaccines against COVID-19. By December Americans began receiving “shots in arms”, a welcome step in returning to normal.

COVID-19 Diagnostic Test Attire — FDA Commissioned Corps officer RADM Estella Jones, DVM, OCET Deputy Director and Co-Chair of the FDA Animal Welfare Council, oversees Commissioned Corps officers as they practice proper fitting of protective items. Healthcare workers testing patients for COVID-19 novel coronavirus infection must wear specific protective gowns, gloves, ventilation masks, and full facial shields as shown, and must replace these items after each patient is tested. credit FDA, public domain

Occupational Safety and Health administration-OSHA

OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor. OSHA’s administrator answers to the Secretary of Labor, who is a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States.

Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970 to

ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

For the pandemic response, OSHA offers guidance on

returning to work
preparing workplaces for COVID-19
worker exposure risk to COVID-19
for specific industries including airlines, farms, retail, corrections
use of respiratory protection equipment

important laws that administer and regulate both private and public healthcare.

The Affordable Care Act- ACA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-HIPPA

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act- EMTALA

Americans with Disabilities Act-ADA

Family Medical Leave Act-FMLA

replica of the Liberty Bell at Disney World, Florida, photo by Dr. Aletha

Let Freedom Ring

In the Declaration of Independence, the founders of the United States created a nation based on the “self-evident truths” of “Life ,Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” and to promote “Safety and Happiness” .

They didn’t mention “healthcare” either, maybe because in the late 1700s medical practice was more superstition than science.

Surgery was rudimentary due to no anesthesia and infections frequently proved deadly due to no antibiotics.

No one had even imagined, much less identified the human genome, and viral DNA-what was that??

I wonder if they intended their new government to spend so much time and money providing and regulating health care –most of which was not available or even imagined at that time?

Public vs Private-not a perfect Union

The United States’ healthcare system combines public health efforts with mostly private delivery of health care. Usually they coexist side by side with some but infrequent interaction.

The public health emergency created by the pandemic forced them into a “union” that quickly became politicized, and unfortunately diminished the effectiveness of the response.

But despite the lack of coordination and cooperation between all levels of government and private citizens, our health care professionals, in both public health and private medical practice stayed true to their calling. Many risked their own lives to care for COVID-19 victims. Others sacrificed time and finances to lead the pandemic response in their communities and on social media- maybe not perfectly, but definitely UNITED in resolve to lead, help, and heal their fellow citizens through this unprecedented health emergency.

Tag: Independence Day